K2 is, as we all know, a mountain that has haunted climbers since the first expedition attempts. “The savage mountain”, has always resisted as if no man was allowed to enter it’s domain. Human tragedy is deeply rooted in it’s image, forcing climbers to take every little event into serious consideration: You just do not fool around with the BIG SCARY BROWNIE.

In the April issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 2012, a brilliant article describes the International Amical Alpin climb of this big pile of rock and ice. Rightly they based the assent from the North side (North pillar), properly offering more stable conditions.

Naturally one could look at this climb, as the last in the line of Gerlindes 14 non ox climbs. It is, but it’s also a bit more: This climb represent a human manifestation of outmost will, determination, faith and profound trust. Confronted by this, K2 opened up the closed door and offered 15min to Gerlinde alone on top. No wind, Sun down light from a clear blue sky and surrounded below by all the 8000 she had formerly climbed in the area. An alpine blessing on her final 8000.

READ THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC K2 ARTICLE HERE

Once again K2 has spoken……but this time using a sweet language.

 

Elisabeth Revol - Traversée Rochefort Jorasses

Le beau temps est de la partie pour ce WE de septembre. Coup de fil avec Fred pour papoter projets de courses…

…Ce sera, sur le fil des 4000 entre France et Italie…

Quels mots pour qualifier cette course : magnifique itinéraire,  d’ampleur, engagée, élégant, où l’on peut jouer au funambule, avançant sur un fil se découpant sur l’azur, arête arienne, vertigineuse et très effilée après la pointe Marguerite, panorama exceptionnel vers les cimes et glaciers du massif,  ambiance majestueuse et austère, solitude, descente sauvage … Bref, parcours tantôt sur un fil de neige vertigineux (le vent a sculpté ici de magnifiques œuvres d’art…), tantôt le long de lignes rocheuses aériennes (les lignes fuient de tous côtés…) tantôt en face nord….

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The red dots show our route and what we are up to 7 July cameBild 21 von 21

2nd Newsletter of the International K2 Expedition to the North Pillar of K2

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner & Ralf Dujmovits

On Friday afternoon, 08th July, After four exciting, beautiful but also exhausting days, we returned to our advanced base camp (ABC) at the lower part of the K2 north pillar on Friday afternoon (8th July). We are now planning to rest at this camp, which is also called ‘Italy Base Camp’ (4,650m), for a few days and are hoping to get a break in this extremely changeable weather here. Since we arrived at the Chinese Base Camp (3,900m), a lot has happened.

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Only 14 peaks in the world raise up over 8000m into what today is known as “the dead zone”. All are situated in the Himalaya range spread over countries like: Nepal, India, Pakistan and Tibet.

THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PEAKS

The beginning

The first expedition to set foot on a 8000m peak was achieved by a French expedition in June 3th 1950, when the guide Louis Lachenal from Annecy together with Maurice Herzog from Lyon, set foot on the summit of Annapurna. As a first time ever achievement, Lachenal and Herzog climbed the dangerous peak of 8091m without the use of supplemental oxygen. A big French success, as just the logistic problems transporting the gear and equipment from France to Nepal in 1950, was a major and expensive obstacle, to what you can add climbing up into unknown conditions. Maurice Herzog was the first to reach the summit, followed closely by Louis Lachenal, though reaching the summit, and especially without the use of supplemental oxygen, they were forced to pay the price:  Herzog’s decision to opt for lighter boots, and the loss of his gloves near the summit allowed frostbite to set in quickly, resulting in extensive amputations on both hands and both feet.

What makes the French expedition to Annapurna special is not only the fact that it was the first 8000+ meter peak climbed, it was also the first that was scouted and climbed entirely in one climbing season, a feat not easily repeated, especially in the golden era of mountaineering.

Since Annapurna in 1950, Climbers have learned from the experiences made, and what was in the beginning heavy National expeditions, are now light international “low budget” expeditions. At the end of 2011, only 24 people have climbed all 14 8000, and the latest to join “the club” is Japanese climber Hirotaka Takeushi, who summited his last 8000m peak: Dhaulagiri May 26^th at 05:30PM local time.

Alpinism is often infused with the fundamental question of puritanism. In this spirit, climbs being made without the use of supplemental oxygen, nor porters and hence in alpine style, are regarded as the ultimate human engagement confronted with a 8000. And in this game, there are only a small club left of 13 climbers in the world, having completed this achievement.

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North Ridge - The north side of K2

K2 the second-highest mountain

Altitude 8616m

To the mountaineer, K2 can be regarded as the ‘mountain of mountains’. Its allure arises from the combination of its isolation, extremes of weather, great altitude and technical climbing demands; K2 is a very serious and compelling objective. Our challenging route takes us onto the well documented Abruzzi Spur. This is one of six fine ridges that form a classical summit pyramid of rock and ice.

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